Category Archives: Race and racism

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After years of speculation, estimates and projections, the Census Bureau has made it official: White births are no longer a majority in the United States.

Non-Hispanic whites accounted for 49.6 percent of all births in the 12-month period that ended last July, according to Census Bureau data made public on Thursday, while minorities — including Hispanics, blacks, Asians and those of mixed race — reached 50.4 percent, representing a majority for the first time in the country’s history.

It’s about time. I was getting really tired of all these white people everywhere.

In a recent essay, called “In Defense of Profiling,” Sam Harris defends profiling. The basic idea is sound, even though he’s gotten some opposition. You look at some person and figure “Oh, that person is very unlikely to be a terrorist” based on some model or another, and ignore them. Then you look at another person and you go “Oh, that person is much more likely to be a terrorist … better check ‘em out” and so on. If your concept of what makes a person more likely a terrorist is correct, then you will have a better chance of catching a terrorist, and it will take fewer resources to do so.

The blog, Crommunist Manefesto, which was one of my favorite blogs at FTB.com, is now shut down. In the famous last words of blogger Crommunist: “My work here is done.” And, to be frank with you, I’m more than a little pissed off, because it isn’t, dammmit.

Crommunist has written extensively about race and racism. As an Afro-Canadian (is that what you call an “African American” who lives in Canadia?) he certainly has a perspective on race and racism in North America that is worth sharing. But, he has decided that he, and everyone else, has done enough; He seems to think that the “race problem” is solved, and the last Race Card has been dealt. I find it inexplicable, so inexplicable, that I can only show you his own words. Crommunist writes:

One of the things I’ve learned in my years is that there is a fine line between fighting racism and enhancing racism. So when an overt racist act happens, because some “white pride” shithead overtly expresses antipathy towards other, usually browner, groups, if we challenge them we are playing into their feelings of superiority and have essentially lost the argument. If we ignore them, then they are forced to go away, if not right way, then eventually.

Which, I suppose, is sometimes true. But as a general philosophy? As a guide to when to act, or indeed, engage in activism at all? I don’t think so. Speaking of activism (or lack thereof):

I didn’t go to the million hoodie march in Vancouver, held earlier this week, for the very reason that I refuse, from this point forward, to acknowledge overt acts of racism and instead I intend to use my own personal history that puts me in an advantageous position as a model for any of those who might use it as such.

Crommie closes his missive with the most remarkable statement, something Totally unexpected from him, at least by me:

So from this day forward, I am a man with no color. I do not recognize the color of others. Recognition of this irrelevant phenotypic difference between otherwise presumed-to-be-equal human beings is the problem, not the solution. I have no color, and nor do you.

Trayvon Martin was on the phone to his girlfriend just prior to the incident in which he was summarily executed by a Neighborhood Watch Volunteer, based on a report from ABC news. According to her, “He said this man was watching him, so he put his hoodie on.” He was then cornered by the man, at which time Trayvon said “What are you following me for? … then the man said ‘what you doing around here?’ … Then somebody pushed Trayvon ’cause the headset just fell.” Then the line went dead. Based on the timing of call logs, this happend just seconds before George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon in the chest.

I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have opened an official investigation into the killing of 17 year old Trayvon Martin by a vigilante “Neighborhood Watch” member George Zimmerman. Zimmerman pursued, confronted, then shot to death Trayvon Martin who was on his way home from the convenience store having picked up a bag of Skittles. Local police, apparently caught like deer in the headlights of an idiotic recently enacted Florida Law stating, according to some, that you can kill anyone you want as long as you can later say that they made you feel icky, have refuses to even bring Zimmerman in for questioning.

There have been protests, a lot of noise from the Liberal Blogosphere, and even a write in campaign using the Sanford Police’s own web site (click here to get in on that!), and limited criticism from the press.

(The 911 calls related to this case are very damning of Zimmerman, and you can listen to them here.)

I want you to do a little thought experiment. Don’t worry, if you have had a long day and your brain is tired, it won’t be too hard. If you’re a Teabagger and are not very smart, it won’t be too hard. If you’re a middle class white person with concerns about brown people moving into your sleepy suburb and all your wealth and privilege came to you more or less by accident and your morality, such as it is, comes to you mainly by default, it won’t be … well actually, for you this might be hard but I’m sure you can do it. Continue reading →

On Monday, March 19th, 2012 at 9AM, some students from FAMU and FSU will be gathering on the Set at FAMU’s campus to rally for Justice in the murder of 17 year old Trayvon Martin. Students will be gathering to spread awareness on the case, but also demand Gov. Scott take lead to make sure justice is served in this state for the family of Trayvon Martin.

The investigation of the killing of Trayvon Martin by a “neighborhood watch” vigilante (noted here) has taken a new turn as the state has taken over the investigation, and we note that the local police may have been doing it wrong. From Huffington Post:

“State Attorney Norm Wolfinger recognizes that Trayvon Martin and his family, interested persons, and the public-at-large are entitled to no less than a thorough, deliberate and just review of the information provided, along with any other evidence that may or may not be developed in the course of the review process,” a statement released from the State Attorney’s Offices Tuesday evening said. “We intend to honor that commitment.”
The shift from local to state officials comes amid suspicion about the department’s investigating techniques, according to reports.

Sikuvu Hutchinson has written an important piece (“Slaves like Us: American Atheists on the Plantation“) that I want to bring to your attention, but there is some context and background that goes with it. Well, background and context that goes with my understanding of her excellent blog post, that I thought I’d share with you. Continue reading →

The Neighborhood Watch in a Florida community spotted a black guy walking down the road in a gated community. They killed him dead. He was visiting relatives, unarmed, walking home from the store, but it was in an all white community.

There’s a real sickness running rampant in the right wing; the Fox News comment thread on Whitney Houston’s death is yet another disgusting deluge of outright racism…There are almost 5000 comments posted in the thread … Notice that the racist bastards deliberately misspell their slurs or insert random spaces, so they aren’t caught by word filters. And many of the worst comments have numerous “likes” from other commenters.

West Saint Paul Council Member Ed Hansen's porch, sporting a Confederate Flag with the word "Redneck" on it. Ed says this is not a symbol of racism and that anyone who does not get that is ignorant. Everybody else on the planet thinks Ed is a fool.

Everyone knows that the “confederate flag” when flow outside of Dixie is always a racist symbol. (When flown IN Dixie, it is usually a racist symbol.) Everyone knows that “redneck” is a term often applied to intolerant ignorant yahoos who are typically racist. Therefore a confederate flag with the word “redneck” written across it can’t be interpreted as anything but a racist, and/or white supremacy symbol.

Ed Hansen was elected to the West Saint Paul city council in 2010. A short while back he hung the flag on his porch. A neighbor notes that a prospective buyer of an adjoining property shied away from the buy because of this flag, but Hansen insists that everyone is making a big deal out of nothing.

“I’m not a racist, and I don’t think it’s racist. People like to play the race card, though, when they don’t get their way.”

Regarding the prospective home buyer who did not want to live next to a racist yahoo, Hansen said:

Good. I don’t want him for a neighbor then. If people choose to be ignorant, that’s their own fault. They should study history. It represents true sovereignty.

The story is reported here and here. Ed Hansen’s email is ehansen@cityofwsp.org in case you want to drop him a line.

Does anybody know, is this the same Ed Hansen who owns Rocco’s Pizza in Little Canada?

For those not familiar with the local geography: “West Saint Paul” is not part of Saint Paul, nor is it west of Saint Paul. It is a town in another county that is called West Saint Paul because it is on the “West Side” of the Mississippi River from Saint Paul, but because of the squiggly nature of the river here, that means it is south and, in fact, east of much of Saint Paul. Little Canada is not near Canada, but it is little. And, even though there is a “Pizza” place called “Rocco’s” there are no actual Italians in Minnesota.

All that whinging and hand wringing about slavery, taking the land from the Indians, and all that stuff is very annoying, especially when the assertion is made that our founding fathers had anything do to with all that. Even though they did. But still, it is very annoying to have the names of those who saw fit to found this nation besmirched by the so called “facts” of “history.”

And that is why the Tennessee Tea Party wants to make it illegal in the Mottoless State of Tennessee to teach the truth. Here’s the wording they propose:

“No portrayal of minority experience in the history which actually occurred shall obscure the experience or contributions of the Founding Fathers, or the majority of citizens, including those who reached positions of leadership.”

I am not afraid of dogs, and most women are probably not “afraid of men.”

Except I’m actually afraid of dogs and most women are justifiably afraid of men. If you get what I’m saying so far, go away and do something useful because this post is not written for you. If you are puzzled, especially about the idea of women being afraid of men at all, then sit down, shut up, and allow me to slap you across the chops a couple of times with a little reality because that is what you need. Assuming you are a sentient adult and still have no clue.

Several people got really really mad at me because of that post … I literally lost a few friends … and they got even madder when I pointed out that getting mad at me for that post increased in my mind the chance that you are likely to be abusive to women. Holy crap. Anyway, it all relates to the whole Schrödinger’s Rapist thing. (See this recent post at Camels with Hammers for more on that)

Anyway, one of the responses to that post (and other conversations going on at the time) was to point out that a man saying that he recognized that women could be justifiably nervous about running across an unknown male on a lonely street at night was equivalent to saying that all black people are criminals. Or something like that.

That, apparently, is one of a number of questions on a math assignment being used in the Beaver Ridge Elementary School in Norcross, part of the Gwinnett County, Georgia, School District. It was said to be a cross-curricular activity. This is part of one of the newer ways of teaching math … use the math in context of real life situations, etc. etc. Unfortuantely, this attempt at linking math to history class looks more like a helpful exercise for future plantation owners … of the Antebellum period.

A vice principle has collected the assignment and filed them in the shredder.

I know it is appropriate to have a range of opinions among the talking heads representing a news agency, and MSNBC certainly does have a range. Pat Buchanan, regular commentator on two or three MSNBC news shows, probably serves at the most conservative individual in the MSNBC panoply.

Nineteen year old Private Danny Chen killed himself with a firearm in a combat station in Kandahar, Afghanistan after being taunted and verbally and physically abused in a decidedly racist manner by several of his fellow soldiers. Eight such soldiers, of C Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, are now facing charges related to Danny’s death. The details of the charges have not been released.

It was not clear from the information provided whether the military believes the soldiers actually killed Chen, or whether officials are alleging that their mistreatment of Chen led him to take his own life.

Gene Marks, you wrote an essay for Forbes that has gotten a lot of people rather upset. People are upset because you display insensitive unchecked privilege and, essentially, you blame an entire class of people as the victims of what is mostly not their fault but rather, your fault and the fault of the modal Forbes reader, as well as society more broadly, history, culture, economics, racism and all sort of other things that are largely beyond the control of the Poor Black Kids of the Inner City of whom you write.

I think you meant well, but you did not do well. There are many ways in which you display a marked lack of a clue about your topic. How so? Let’s start at the beginning of your essay: Continue reading →

The pardon process relies on the recommendations of a special office of the White House, which takes a number of factors (not skin color) into account overtly, including things like level of remorse or financial or family factors. The process was, wisely one would have thought, depoliticized by George Bush at the beginning of his first term, so that the professional pardon lawyers’ recommendations are routinely followed, plus or minus only small variations.

So, we therefore know that the fact that a white person is 400% more likely to be pardoned than a black person is not because of some yahoo racist president or evil chief of staff. Rather, it’s just how the legal system turns out.

It does look like there may be something to the allegations, and there does seem to be some denial followed by backpedaling.

Herman Cain

I would like to point out, however, that he was a male CEO, a person of power, wealth, and fame. This is often true of the men in the race, and in presidential races generally. When Norm Colemen was trying to get re-elected as Senator from Minnesota, very credible and verifiable details of his horrid “womanizing” (a term I never quite understood but whatever) behaviors came out, and no one noticed or cared or did anything about it except a few of us bloggers. It took years for the John Edwards thing to come out. As it were. Remember Gary Hart? Same thing.